The $200,000-dollar Dwyer Stakes is Saturday at Belmont Park. The contest is a one-turn mile for 3-year-olds and drew a field of ten.
Here is a brief look at that field:
1. BRAVARO [ML 15-1] Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr. Jockey: Paco Lopez. Won his first two starts against New York-breds at Aqueduct as a 2-year-old. He moved to the Kentucky Derby trail and picked up qualifying points in three of those races, running 2nd in the Grade 3 Holy Bull and 4th in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and the Wood Memorial (G2). Last outing in August, he won the Hilton Memorial going seven furlongs at Charles Town around two turns.
2. OVERTIME RULES [ML 15-1] Trainer: Arnaud Delacour. Jockey: Sam Marin. Debuted on turf in July and set the pace but finished 6th. After a short layoff, he moved to the main track at Colonial Downs and broke his Maiden by more than four lengths with a front-end effort. Last month he won an Allowance going seven furlongs at Keeneland while leading the entire race.
3. STIMULATE [ML 6-1] Trainer: Bill Mott. Jockey: Junior Alvarado. Broke his Maiden in his second start at Saratoga, which is not an unusual pattern for a Mott newcomer. He stretched out to a mile in a Saratoga Allowance and won as an even-money favorite. In September he pressed the pace to finish 3rd in the Bourbon Flight at Churchill Downs.
4. WHITE SMOKE RISING [ML 20-1] Trainer: Charlton Baker. Jockey: Kendrick Carmouche. Broke his Maiden at Aqueduct in the spring in his second race with a stalking trip. He won a Saratoga Allowance going seven furlongs and then tried the Amsterdam (G2), but he could not keep up with the fast fractions.
5. STOP THE CAR [ML 20-1] Trainer: Brendan Walsh. Jockey: Dylan Davis. Won both of his races as a 2-year-old, beginning at Keeneland in August and then an Allowance going a mile at Churchill. Then he ran in four Graded Stakes, where his best finish was a 3rd in the Pat Day Mile (G2), and then ran 3rd again in the Ellis Park Derby.
6. TED NOFFEY [ML 8-5] Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Jockey: John Velazquez. The Champion juvenile male makes his first start as a 3-year-old almost exactly a year after winning at the Breeders’ Cup. He was a three-time Grade 1 winner, with the other two victories coming in the Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga and the Breeders Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. His return to racing was delayed by bone bruising. His comeback work schedule shows eight breezes on a weekly basis at Saratoga and then Belmont.
7. DECISIVE WIN [ML 15-1] Trainer: Doug O’Neill. Jockey: Antonio Fresu. Ships east to make his first start outside of California. He broke his Maiden in his second start at Santa Anita in March by more than five lengths going a mile with a front-end trip. He was 4th in the Affirmed and then 3rd in an Allowance at Del Mar in August. Last out he was a distant 5th in a Stakes race in September. Adds blinkers here.
8. IGNITER [ML 8-1] Trainer: Rick Dutrow Jr. Jockey: Manny Franco. A two-time Stakes winner in the Jimmy Winkfield at Aqueduct in March and then in the Ellis Park Derby in August. Both of those wins came with pace-pressing trips. In September, he could not compete against the upper-echelon 3-year-olds when he was a distant 5th in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1).
9. SEA STRIKE [ML 2-1] Trainer: Chad Brown. Jockey: Flavien Prat. Was a debut winner in April as an odds-on favorite after overcoming a slow start. At Saratoga, he was fifth in an Allowance but then won the Curlin Stakes by more then eight lengths. He comes back from an August layoff after finishing 6th in the Travers (G1).
10. MAILATA [ML 30-1] Trainer: Robert Reid Jr. Jockey: Mychal Sanchez. Has plenty of experience, with nine starts and four victories. He got his Maiden score as a 2-year-old in his third try at Parx going a mile. Ended his 2025 campaign with a pair of Stakes wins, first against PA-breds and then in the Future Stars by 19 lengths. He tried the Derby trail to start this year and was distanced in the Withers at Aqueduct. In August he won another Stakes at Parx. Last seen he ran 4th in the Gallant Bob (G2).
The Dwyer Stakes is slated as race 8 on a card of 10 with a scheduled Post Time of 3:15.
Best of luck however you play it.
